Oklahoma City learned early on in its initial negotiations with the NBA that being in the major leagues doesn't magically create major league respect.
At the time, Charles Barkley, now a TNT NBA commentator, interviewed Chris Paul when his team, the Hornets, temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Was.
In a 2006 interview, Barkley called Oklahoma a “vast wasteland,” claimed the state was “no place for black people,” and claimed that the rising star kept cows and chickens in his yard, leading to Paul teased.
A lot has changed in the years since then, and with the Thunder ranked first in the Western Conference and making the NBA playoffs, national and potentially international attention is returning to the city.
However, the image problem still persists. Some hits are unfair, based on outdated stereotypes and high-flying nation prejudices.
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When Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Barrett wrote an incredible front-page article questioning the logic of developer Scott Mattson's plan to build the nation's tallest tower in Oklahoma City, nothing happened. I wasn't saying anything new.
The tone of the story begins with the humiliating suggestion that views from the top of the envisioned 134-story tower would be limited to “extensive grounds and farmland.”
Certainly Joe. You won't see Myriad Botanical Gardens, Scissortail Park, Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, the downtown skyline (yes, it's there), or the State Capitol. The photo chosen was of a surface parking lot in Bricktown.
Just as national sports commentators deny the Thunder as true championship favorites, they also deny Oklahoma City's growing status as one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Some people may be looking for a way to do so.
By the numbers, Oklahoma City is not a small town with chickens and cows like Berkeley or Barrett. As of the latest census, Oklahoma City has emerged as the 20th largest city in the United States, and its 6th fastest growing population.
Only twice in Oklahoma City's history have there been long streaks of less than 4% unemployment, and Oklahoma City was recently ranked among 380 job markets surveyed by the Wall Street Journal and Moody's Analytics. Ranked 5th best job market.
The city is also much more diverse than it is recognized outside of the state. The most recent census reports that 52.5% are white, 13.7% are black, 3.4% are American Indian, 4.5% are Asian, and 20.1% are Hispanic or Latino.
Construction cranes dotting the landscape tell a good story. And with the Festival of the Arts, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, and the Olympic Trials on the Oklahoma River all coinciding with the upcoming playoff games, it honestly looks like Oklahoma City is a boring community with nothing to do. It's hard to imagine anyone trying to portray that.
OKC is doing a few things right.Other issues remain unresolved for years
Many things are going well. But it's the fundamentals that the city continues to struggle to address, or simply ignore, that could fuel a negative portrayal under the glare of the NBA spotlight.
Some of downtown's busiest gateways to Interstate 235 have dozens of patched potholes and roads that have been in bad shape for years. The entrance to Western His Avenue from Interstate 40 is often lined with trash.
Imagine Oklahoma City starting its first Western Conference Finals game as the world's sports media arrive and take in the sights and sounds. They visited Scissortail Park, the epicenter of the playoff celebrations, and checked out the basketball courts that line the park area just south of the Skydance Bridge.
It makes for a great camera shot, but does that view include the burnt-out A&A salvage yard building across the street? The building suffered a fire in late 2022, but has also been declared dilapidated by the city council. However, only the most severely damaged buildings were demolished.
Other buildings have windows left broken and left open for children to explore, with only dead tree branches blocking vehicle access to the grounds. City officials continue to leave the property unsecured, citing the owner's assurances that sale and redevelopment is imminent.
It may be too late to address the crumbling streets and eyesores, but the city continues to ignore them even though a young Thunder team could remain a playoff contender for years to come. Some may wonder whether it does.
Other steps can be taken immediately. In recent years, some Interstate 235 ramps into and out of downtown have been lined with overgrown brush, dead trees and tall weeds. In response to inquiries from The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation sent crews to clean those hallways on Friday.
You can pick up trash. A few cans of paint can cover up Tagger's graffiti along the walls of his BNSF railroad overpass just east of the Paycom Center. Call a mowing crew to take care of tall grass and weeds at Winans Park, located along the Broadway gateway to downtown.
A signboard will be installed showing a rendering of the vacant land immediately east of the Omni Hotel that will be developed into an eight-story condominium tower.
Oklahoma City's transformation over the past two decades has required millions of dollars of investment, consistent and patient citizen engagement, and a healthy debate about how best to model 21cent– Century City.
The question is whether, in pursuing ambitious goals, overlooking the details can derail that journey and the story we want to share with the world about who we are and who we want to become.
